The (Mis)Adventures of Ayano Kannagi
by WhatIsEssentialToTheHeart
Summary: When Ayano Kannagi was told by her younger cousin, Ren, that the banished prince Kazuma of the fire kingdom had returned to the country, she was doubtful to say the least. However, she decides to help Ren in his aide to find his older brother, embarking on a crazy, heroic, and seemingly hopeless adventure.
1. Chapter 1

**A little story plot thingy I came up with while bored and having too much spare time on my hands. Something that should be avoided at all costs. Thank you and have a wonderful read +.+**

* * *

**Chapter One**

At the sound of hooves approaching, Ayano quickly sheathed Enraiha. It wouldn't do if anyone were to see her messing around with her flame sword. She exhaled when she noticed it was only Ren, her second cousin. It'd been careless of her to practice out in the open without her usual disguise. The redhead waited for Ren to dismount before she began scolding him.

"You should know better than to sneak up on me like that," she admonished. "You know how paranoid I get."

"Sorry, Ayano." It was then she saw the troubled look on her blonde cousin's face.

"Never mind. Is something wrong?" Ayano asked as she drew Enraiha. "Did something follow you here?"

Ren looked in alarm at the flaming sword in her hands. "Oh no, it's not that kind of trouble."

Ayano frowned, once again putting Enraiha away. "Then what is it?"

She wished Ren would just get to the point. Perhaps, her father had invited that awful foreigner, Catherine. Just the thought of her made Ayano angry. "Is it Catherine?"

Ren shook his head, looking as if he were having a hard time getting the words out. Realizing he looked like he was a step away from crying, Ayano immediately softened her tone. "Ren, you can tell me anything. Did Cousin Genma say something?"

"No, it's . . . Kazuma's back," he managed in a choked voice.

"Who?" asked Ayano, clueless. She wracked her brain for any memory regarding someone named Kazuma. "Is that the suitor that tried to make a move on you?"

"What? No!" Ren widened his eyes. "You don't know who Kazuma is?"

"Can't say I do," Ayano stated slowly. She knew the name was familiar, but she had yet to associate it with a face.

"That's so mean," Ren stated. "I can't believe you don't remember my older brother."

"Older brother?" Ren didn't have an older brother. Or did he? "Wait, is that the guy I beat to the throne? Yeah, I think it is. I kicked his ass! Though I have to admit, he didn't put up much of a fight."

The light in Ren's eyes dimmed at the bashing of his older brother. "You don't have to be so mean, Ayano."

Ayano ruffled the boy's blonde hair. "Hey, don't worry. I wasn't doing it to be mean."

Ren failed to what help that was; she had just stated indirectly that his older brother was weak. Although, Ren had yet to see his older brother, he was just happy he was back. It'd been four years since Kazuma had been banished, Ren felt as if it'd just been yesterday. And Kazuma hadn't even said goodbye-he'd just left. Well, Ren was going to find him, and when he did, he'd question his older brother on his disappearance.

"So where is he?" Ayano asked, gazing around. As if, perhaps, Ren's older brother would appear out of thin air.

"He's in Japan, but he's not in the fire kingdom," whispered Ren, glancing around at the rolling hills as if searching for eavesdroppers.

"Where'd you hear that?" asked Ayano, with a trace of doubt. Perhaps, Ren had heard wrong. After all why would Kazuma suddenly come back? The last she'd heard of him, which was several years ago, he was somewhere abroad. 'Finding his own path' as she'd heard her father, Jugo Kannagi say.

"I overheard my father talking to yours." Ren looked slightly worried. "It didn't sound good. They think Kazuma's the new wind magic user the other kingdoms have been talking about-"

"But that's crazy!" interrupted Ayano. "How could he suddenly become a wind user? He couldn't even control fire. But then wind is a less strong form."

Ren looked saddened at Ayano's words. His redheaded cousin sighed, "Alright. I'm guessing you want to find your older brother, right?"

Suddenly, the blonde bishonen smiled brightly. "Yeah."

"Well that settles it," declared Ayano. She had a bad feeling about this. But like the many other times she had, she ignored it. After all, there was no fun if she listened to everything her father said. If it was up to him, being the head of the Kannagi clan and ruler of the fire kingdom, he'd have her locked inside the palace at all times. "So do you have a lead?"

O~O~O

"Dad is so going to kill me if he finds out," moaned Ayano. She sat next to Ren in the carriage. Across from them sat her two best friends Nanase Kudo and Yukari Shinomiya.

"I didn't say you had to come along," Ren pointed out. "If you were so worried you should have stayed back."

Ayano frowned. "As if! I couldn't miss out on this. And thanks guys. You don't know how much this means to Ren and me." When Ren had mentioned his plan, Ayano had been more than certain her father would never agree to it. That was until she remembered Nanase and Yukari were going to Chusei Okoku for the autumn celebration, otherwise known to Ayano as the Neutral Zone. As far as she knew, Nanase and Yukari were only the handful of people in the fire kingdom that knew about element users and the purpose of the four kingdoms-three now, since the collapse of the wind kingdom several hundred years ago.

"Oh, it's no big deal," Nanase waved it off. She wore an expensive silk kimono her parents had gifted her on her seventeenth birthday last year. As a merchant in troubled times, it was quite a feat for her father to purchase such finery. But then the Kudo family was quite well off, compared to other merchant families.

Yukari was, as usual, dressed in another splendid pink kimono. Both her parents were nobles, so Yukari was able to indulge in as many luxuries as the rich could afford.

However, Ayano was dressed in a plain kimono. She realized her drab garment when she first climbed into the carriage with Ren after bidding her father and Cousin Genma farewell. They'd be away for a week, at the very least. When Ayano had confided in Nanase and Yukari about Ren's dilemma, they'd immediately offered to help them leave the kingdom. The two girls were on their way to the Neutral Zone; the timing couldn't have been more perfect. It was moments like these, Ayano truly realized how lucky she was to have her friends.

Once again, Ayano was struck by the strange friendship the three shared. The trio came from different backgrounds and each had a different upbringing as was evident in their personalities. But still they remained the best of friends.

"So what's your brother like?" asked Yukari. She glanced at Ren who had been staring out the carriage at the passing scenery.

Ren screwed up his face in concentration. He was so young when his brother left without a word. Although Ren knew it wasn't Kazuma's fault he'd had to leave, his older brother could have at least said goodbye to him. Perhaps when they finally came face to face, Ren could convince Kazuma to come back to the fire kingdom, back to the Kannagis. "I don't remember much of my brother. He left when I was little."

Nanase glanced at Ren with a sad look in her eyes. Ayano knew her blue-haired friend was thinking of her own older brother who had perished in a war. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you, Ren," smiled Nanase.

"You think so?" asked Ren. At Nanase's nod, his face broke out into a smile befitting his naturally cheerful demeanor.

As time passed by, Ayano grew bored, fidgeting in her seat often. It got the point that Ren pressed himself closer to the opposite side. But Ayano couldn't help herself; the carriage ride was taking too long. She was almost begging for the carriage to stop for whatever reason. Five minutes later her pleading was answered.

"I wonder what happened," murmured Nanase as she stepped down from the carriage. Ayano decided to follow suit so she could stretch her aching legs. They were on a travel-worn path through a small forest. There were trees on either side of the road. The redhead peered into the trees; it was almost nightfall and darkness was rapidly approaching. She shivered as she sensed someone watching them. Peering into the woods, Ayano could see nothing.

"Must have been my imagination," she muttered to herself. Before she climbed back into the carriage she cast one last glance over her shoulder. Still nothing.

Nanase joined them a few seconds later. "Reisuke just had to fix the wheel. Apparently it was coming loose."

Just then the carriage lurched forwards, nearly making Ayano bump her head on the roof. It was nightfall by the time they reached a travelling inn. Finally, Ayano sighed. She'd been thinking they would never reach the inn. The redhead was the last to exit from the vehicle. She took a closer look at the place they'd be staying for the night. At least it wasn't too shabby.

Yukari took the lead and purchased two rooms for the night. Feeling sticky from the humidity, Ayano decided to take a bath. She was irritated when the owner informed her that the bathhouse was located outside. It was already too dark outside, but Ayano couldn't bear to sleep in sweat. Maybe Ren would be willing to wait with her; Nanase and Yukari were already asleep in the room across from them.

"Ren," Ayano whispered. He stirred, groaning in his sleep. "Ren." This time she whispered louder. Again he didn't wake. "Ren!" Startled, Ren quickly spun in his small bed and toppled to the ground.

"Ayano," he whined, rubbing his head.

She hoped Ren would understand her dilemma and take pity on her. When Ayano had finished telling him how she couldn't bathe without anyone to hold a lantern out in the dark, he flushed a deep red. However, the sweet nature of Ren's did not allow him to refuse Ayano's plea for help. "Alright. But you have to make it fast."

The two tiptoed downstairs, careful not to wake the other occupants of the house. Near the fireplace, drinking a big mug of ale was the owner of the inn, a giant of a man with dark hair and coloring. He glanced up when he heard someone descending. "Is there anything you need?" he asked politely when Ayano and Ren stepped into view.

"Actually we were looking for a lantern," answered Ren. "We'd be much obliged if you could help us."

"Sure," the man stood. He towered over Ayano, making her feel as if she was a little child. The owner went behind the desk and retrieved a lit lantern and a matchbox. "Here you go."

"Thanks," Ayano smiled.

The owner frowned at her, concentrating on her face. "You look slightly familiar. Have we met before?"

"Uh, no, you must be mistaken. This is the first time I've stepped outside Chusei Okoku," Ayano blatantly lied.

The man stroked his beard, "Oh, really. Then I must have been mistaken. I apologize."

When they exited the warmth and familiarity of the inn, Ren questioned her about her lie. "I don't see why you had to lie to him about where we came from."

"Oh, don't worry," Ayano stated flippantly. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

She glanced around the back of the inn. Surely that little shed couldn't be the bathhouse. It was so small. Ayano pushed open the wooden door; at least the bath provided some form of privacy. She looked up; there was a gaping hole in the roof. "Oh well," she grunted. Peeking outside to make sure Ren's back was against flimsy wooden door, Ayano stripped out of her kimono and placed it carefully on a wooden stool that carried several dirty washrags and a small bar of soap. She glanced distastefully at the bath supplies. The wooden tub was empty. Ayano sighed; maybe she should have filled the tub before taking her clothing off. Only in her bare undergarments, Ayano gratefully gathered water in a bucket from a water pump inside the bath. She dipped a finger into the freezing cold water, shivering. Once the bath was filled, Ayano dipped a finger in the water warming it. Being a fire user had its perks.

Ayano's bath time was cut short when she heard Ren's cry of distress. Shooting out of the bath, Ayano quickly drew on her kimono shouting for Ren. She didn't care that her kimono was wet and her undergarments were now lying on the dirty ground. Banging open the door, with a summoned Enraiha she looked like a person not to be trifled with. "Where is it Ren?" she asked, slashing in a random direction. Whatever it was had extinguished the light of the lantern.

However the glow of fire surrounding Enraiha gave her some light to move around in. Ayano heard her name being called by Ren, followed by the striking of a match. A few seconds later, the lantern was lit. Ren was standing a few feet away.

"What's wrong?" Ayano asked, whipping around in all directions, barefoot.

Ren looked completely bewildered. "Should something be wrong?"

"Weren't you crying out for help?" There didn't seem to be anything amiss in the surrounding area. Well as far as Ayano could see.

"Oh, that." Ren looked slightly sheepish and a bit ashamed. "The light from the lantern went out."

"What?" asked Ayano, dumbfounded. "So I-your scream-aren't you a fire user?"

The blonde bishonen looked down at the ground. "Uh, yes. But I was surprised at how fast the light went out that I didn't have time to think. And it was dark."

Ayano sighed.

* * *

**Find out what the next chapter holds in store for Ren and Ayano. Will they find Kazuma? Maybe, maybe not. Let me know how this chapter went; review. That is a command, soldier +.+**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone who followed and favorited. And a shout-out to 4Eva Dreaming and soccerlover91 for their awesome reviews!**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

"Ayano, wake up. It's time to leave." Ren shook his older cousin. He knew it was almost impossible to wake Ayano from sleep. She was sprawled across the bed with her arms and legs all askew. With another shake, Ayano stirred yawning loudly.

"Oh, Ren. What are you doing here?" Ayano asked rubbing her bleary eyes. She sat up in bed and gazed around in confusion. "Where are we?"

This small room was hardly her bedroom in the palace. It took her a while to remember the events of yesterday. She got up with a jolt and began taking out her travel-worn kimono from the day before. If the journey today was anything like yesterday's Ayano wanted to be as comfortable as she could possibly be. Ren turned around as Ayano began changing, his face a bright red.

"Alright," Ayano announced as she finished dressing, pulling her long red hair into a ponytail. "Time for breakfast."

Ren sighed, following the redhead down the stairs and into the small room where Nanase and Yukari sat at a round table. Ayano slid in next to Nanase and Ren sat right by Yukari. There was already a heap of food on the table and Ayano wasted no time in digging into the food. Her three travel companions eyed her wearily. With Ayano's turbo eating skills, she was done within five minutes. "Do you think they have any sweets?"

"Now, now, Ayano, we have to hurry before it gets late. We still have another couple hours until we get there," Yukari stated. At that, Nanase and Ren stood up, heading towards the exit. Ayano gave an exaggerated sigh and followed suit with Yukari right behind her.

They boarded the carriage and within a few seconds, the vehicle lurched forward.

O~O~O

It was late into the afternoon when the carriage rolled to a stop in front of an average sized traditional Japanese house. Nanase's uncle had invited her and her friends to stay for the autumn festival. He lived in Chusei Okoku for most of his life; it was where the Kudo family had lived for the better part of half a century until Nanase's father had met her mother and decided to move to the fire kingdom to start a family.

A dark-haired elderly man stepped out of the house to greet the arrivals. Ayano had never met Nanase's uncle before, but she'd heard quite a bit about him. Apparently he ran a confectionery business. And that was enough to make Ayano like him immediately.

The group bowed respectfully to the head of the Kudo family. Nanase's uncle smiled widely and beckoned them inside. Ayano gazed around the house in interest; it wasn't much different than the houses in the fire kingdom, she noted. This was the first time she'd stepped foot outside the fire kingdom without her father and she found it quite exhilarating.

Mr. Kudo's wife came to greet them and then showed them to their rooms.

"Don't you have any cousins?" Ren asked as they all gathered in the guest room Nanase, Yukari, and Ayano were to share.

"I actually have three; all of them are girls. It's strange that they aren't here to greet us," Nanase stated. "They're probably just helping Uncle at the confectionery shop."

Ayano's eyes gleamed with interest. "Can we go see them?"

Yukari laughed, "If it has anything to do with food, you just jump at it, don't you, Ayano?"

Ignoring the rhetorical question, Ayano finished her packing and turned to Ren. "Have you settled in already?"

"Yeah," there was a hint of sadness in his voice.

Ayano could tell what was bothering Ren. "Don't worry. We have a week to find him."

That didn't do anything to improve Ren's mood as he nodded slowly. "But what if he's not here?"

Ayano didn't pretend she hadn't thought of that. But she didn't want to depress Ren anymore than he already was. "Don't worry; I have a feeling he's just around the corner."

By the time Yukari had unpacked her many silk kimonos, the group was called down to have lunch with Nanase's uncle and aunt. The couple was very polite and treated them with kindness. But they were also very formal. Ayano wondered if they knew who she really was. She pushed that thought to the side; she'd ask Nanase about that later. After they'd finished eating, Nanase informed her uncle that the four of them would be taking a stroll through town. Her uncle seemed a bit wary of letting them wander the huge town alone, but Nanase convinced him that she knew the place well enough to stick to the more crowded and safe places.

"Alright," he finally relented. "But make sure to come home with your cousins. They'll close shop at seven."

Nanase furrowed her brows. "Seven?"

Her uncle sighed, "There's been strange talk about a possession around town. A young shop assistant was apparently possessed and found dead by the riverbank. But I doubt the whole possession business is nothing more than someone's overactive imagination. But just to be safe, the shops have to be closed before eight. There hasn't been an attack since over fifty years."

Ayano frowned; it sounded like the work of a youma. But what was it doing in the Neutral Zone? Like Nanase's uncle had said, there hadn't been any youma sightings in the Neutral Zone since over fifty years; the last one vanquished by a distant ancestor of the Kannagis. But that was in times when people knew the existence of elemental users. Now elemental users were legend; they were stories told to young children. If only the people knew. There were only very few families that knew of elemental users; but most refused to acknowledge the existence of such beings.

Nanase, Yukari, and Ren shared a worried glance.

As they walked down the crowded streets of town, Ayano gazed around happily; the thought of the youma pushed to the back of her mind. She'd deal with that later. There were shops on either side of the street crowded with pedestrians and various carriages and rickshaws. Although it wasn't dark out, there were lit lanterns hanging from one shop to the other. The town was bustling, preparing for the autumn celebration Ayano figured.

As Yukari pulled Nanase towards an elaborate jewelry stall, Ayano hung back with Ren. He smiled happily at her. She hated to bring up the next topic, but she needed to know Ren had her back if they were going to investigate the youma.

"I don't know, Ayano," he said, frowning thoughtfully. "You heard what Mr. Kudo said, it was probably nothing."

Maybe he was right, but still Ayano couldn't get rid of the niggling doubt in the back of her mind. "Still, I think we should check it out."

"I suppose." Eventually Ren relented. Ayano knew he thought that the search for the youma would delay them in finding Kazuma. She felt bad, but she couldn't rest if there was a youma going around terrorizing unsuspecting victims.

"Don't worry, Ren. We'll find Kazuma. I promise." Ayano hoped it was a promise she could keep, looking down at the smile Ren gave her. They only had a weeks' time. What if it wasn't enough? Or what if Kazuma wasn't here? _He has to be here_, Ayano thought fiercely. Ren had been sure that his father had mentioned that Kazuma was in the Neutral Zone. As long as he was far away from the fire kingdom, there was nothing the Kannagi family had to worry about. Once again, Ayano thought of her father's wrath if he were to somehow find out the purpose of their visit to Chusei Okoku. But she pushed that thought away. There was no way he would find out.

"Ayano, Ren over here," called Yukari, snapping the redhead out of her reverie. She pasted on a smile. While she was away from her father's control, Ayano intended to have as much fun as she could.

It was getting dark by the time the group made their way to the Kudo confectionery shop. It was a cute little shop nestled in between a ramen stand and a quaint inn. When the four stepped into the shop, a wind chime sounded. Ayano was immediately in paradise. The shop was bright and cheery with a welcoming vibe. There were sweets of all kind decorating the counter tops and inside transparent glass displays. Western sweets were by far the most popular, noticed Ayano, as she glued herself against a glass display containing a limited amount of strawberry shortcake.

"Would you like one?" a young girl asked. She had light blue hair and looked about Ren's age. "It's a pleasure to meet friends of Nanase's; consider it on the house."

"Really? Then I'll take one. Thank you," Ayano beamed. She cheerfully dug into the pastry.

"This is my youngest cousin Atsuko. Atsuko, these are my friends Yukari, Ayano, and Ren," introduced Nanase. "Are your sisters here?"

Atsuko nodded, "They should be in the back. It's almost time to close shop."

"We heard there's been a rumor about a ghost around town," mentioned Ayano. Perhaps Atsuko would know something that would help them.

"They're just rumors. But the owner of the fish market swears he's seen a ghost by the river, near the woods." Ayano glanced towards the door behind the counter where a silver-haired girl stood with several boxes in hand. Atsuko stepped back to help her sister.

The silver-haired girl glanced at the group. "My name's Gina. We weren't expecting you until tonight."

"That was the plan, but we were kind of in a hurry. These are my friends Yukari and Ayano. Ren here is Ayano's younger cousin."

Gina nodded to each of them as they were introduced. "Junko will be here shortly; she's going to finish unpacking the deliveries."

"We'll wait," stated Nanase. "With the latest attack it's dangerous to walk home alone."

"I'll let her know," Gina said, disappearing into the back. She reemerged moments later, followed by her violet-haired older sister.

"Thank you for waiting," Junko said. She smiled brightly at the group. "I'll just be a few moments."

As they waited for Junko to close the shop, the group trailed outside. Unlike Gina, Atsuko was very talkative. She asked about the fire kingdom, wondering how it looked and how the culture was. Ayano delighted in answering her questions; she took an immediate liking to the girl. Finally Junko arrived and all seven of them began walking back to the Kudo house. Junko was a lot like her youngest sister and made easy conversation with Yukari. Nanase noticed that Gina seemed quieter than usual and hung back to try to find out what was wrong. But after exchanging a few words, Ayano noticed Gina remained silent. Nanase looked worried.

Back at the house, Gina retired immediately to bed, declining dinner. Her mother let out a deep sigh. Nanase's uncle had retired early as well.

"Is something wrong?" Nanase asked her aunt as they all sat on cushions around a low table.

"The boy that died was a close friend of Gina's," admitted Junko in a low voice. "She's been torn up over it ever since."

Ayano raised a brow. "Was she there when it happened?"

"No, but she was the last person to see him before he died."

"The poor boy was saddened over the loss of his grandfather," informed Nanase's aunt. "Daisuke was very close to his grandfather. He committed suicide the same night his mother told him."

Nanase glanced towards the doorway her cousin had disappeared through earlier. However, Ayano was lost in her inner musings. _A suicide? Maybe it was the work of a youma. But I wonder what it wanted with the boy_.

Later on that night, as Ayano tossed and turned on her futon she was plagued by dreams of a boy descending into the water. When she woke up in a cold sweat, the redhead glanced around. On either side of her, Nanase and Yukari were asleep. She shook her head. It was only a nightmare. The wind howled outside, making Ayano shiver. "There must be a storm," murmured Ayano. Tomorrow she would investigate Daisuke's death. Hopefully Ren would come along willingly. If not she would just have to drag him with her. The thought of investigating an incident that could possibly involve a youma unnerved her. Ayano had once seen Ren's dad go up against a youma as a child. It was up to the fire users to protect the people of the fire kingdom. If Daisuke had indeed been possessed by a youma, then Ayano needed Ren's help. She'd only gone up against a youma once and that wasn't an incident she wanted to relive.

* * *

**In the next chapter Ayano enlists a reluctant Ren to help her find out whether a youma was responsible for Daisuke's death. And what's that about a mysterious wind user? Read on to find out. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for everyone's support with the story. And here's the next chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

The next morning Ayano was roused from her sleep by the sound of chatter from the floor below. Rubbing her eyes irritably, the redhead stumbled out of bed and began getting ready for the day. This time she decided to dress in one of her better kimonos. It was a nice red, patterned with white hibiscus flowers. Ayano had some serious trouble with her pink obi, but after a couple tries managed to tie it properly. She sighed; perhaps wearing her light grey kimono would have been a better idea. It at least allowed her to move freely.

When Ayano finally made her way down, she was greeted cheerfully by the other occupants of the house, and immediately her eyes narrowed in on Ren. He was smiling at Atsuko, who was telling him about a customer who had come in and caused a huge ruckus. The blonde seemed to be enjoying himself, so Ayano decided to talk to him later.

After breakfast Nanase's trio of cousins made their way out to the confectionery shop, with Nanase's uncle promising to check on them later in the day. And then he'd disappeared to his room, pleading a headache. No one missed the worried look his wife had cast his way, but decided not to comment. Nanase's aunt-or Oba-san as she'd told the group to call her, struggled to maintain a smile.

Yukari managed to convince Nanase to take them to tour some more shops in the center of town. She claimed that she'd seen a beautiful blue western-styled dress in one of the shops. Nanase rolled her eyes as Yukari talked her ear off about the different dresses she would like to try on.

Ayano took this chance talk to Ren.

"I don't know, Ayano. There's no one from the family here to help us. And we're not exactly experts on this sort of thing," protested Ren, slight fear in his lime green eyes.

"I know," she frowned. "But what if more people start dying? We can't just stand by and do nothing."

Ren seemed to think it over. Ayano waited patiently, knowing that in the end the blonde would end up agreeing to help. He was soft-hearted and had a weakness for people in need of saving. "Alright, but I feel like we're getting farther from finding Kazuma."

"I promised you we would find him, didn't I?" It was a rhetorical question. "And I'm not one to go back on my word. After all I'm Ayano Kannagi, prin-"

"Shhh!" Ren exclaimed, glancing around the street for anyone that had overheard Ayano's outburst.

Ayano smiled sheepishly. "Oh, right." She'd forgotten that they'd promise Ren's father that they would hide their identities while outside the fire kingdom. It was for their protection, Genma Kannagi had said. _You never know the things people would do if they knew who the two of you actually are_.

After entering another two shops with Nanase and Yukari, Ayano made up her mind. She and Ren were here for a reason-to find Kazuma. And they'd better start working on that before their time ran out. Questioning locals might help in tracking down the banished prince.

"We'll meet you in the town center-next to the ramen stall," shouted Nanase after them, as Yukari dragged her towards one of the jewelry stalls they'd visited yesterday.

"Where should we look first?" asked Ayano. She faintly remembered Nanase telling them where the main shops and establishments were located. There were over ten inns all around town. Perhaps that would be the best place to look.

"If Kazuma were here, he'd probably be staying at an inn," said Ren, confirming Ayano's thoughts.

The first three places they'd tried had all refused to impart any information regarding clients. Ayano had huffed angrily and demanded that they were looking for a wind magic user. This had elicited some shock and one of the owners had immediately told them to leave and never set foot in the Sunshine Inn again.

However, the next inn owner was slightly more helpful. She said that there'd been some talk in the country about a mysterious new wind magic user that had arrived from China, but that was all she knew. It was obvious from her demeanor, though, that she did not believe in that sort of nonsense.

"It's nothing more than legend," the woman shook her head. "Magic users died out years ago."

Ayano almost gave up hope of ever finding Ren's older brother, until the boy pointed out a deserted looking inn at the far end of town. It looked like it was crumbling and was obviously the oldest building in the entire town.

When they stepped inside the dank and dusty inn, Ayano repressed a shiver as one of the wooden boards creaked underneath their footsteps, threatening to collapse. The room was sparsely furnished and the windows were grimy. Ayano rang the rusty, silver bell on the top of the long wooden table in the middle of the room.

"I don't think there's anyone here," Ayano whispered, ready to leave. But the sound of someone approaching made her clench her fists and stand on guard.

An old, frail man appeared in a hidden doorway behind the table. He mustered a small smile at the sight of Ayano and Ren. He was thin and grey-haired. Spectacles dangled from a chain around his neck.

"Hello, how may I help you?" croaked the elderly man.

"We're looking for a man that arrived from China recently. There've been rumors surrounding his appearance in the country," informed Ren, hoping the man might have heard anything.

"Hmm," the man stroked his chin and walked over to a faded armchair. He sat down, leaning his cane against a small table. "I might have heard a thing or two about this man. If you don't mind my asking, why are you looking for him?"

The old man peered curiously at Ren; his gaze flickered to Ayano and coughed. The redhead felt oddly nervous with those watery blue eyes on her.

Ren hesitated and glanced at Ayano. "I'm-he's my brother."

"Ah," the man declared, leaning further into the armchair for support. "I guess that will do. There've been some strange rumors surrounding this brother of yours. Some say he's a wind magic user; come from China for some kind of mission. He goes around the countryside doing odd jobs." The man paused and coughed violently, his frail frame shaking. Within a few seconds, he straightened and waved off Ren's concerns. "Oh, it's nothing. Just my old age catching up with me. Now where was I? Oh, yes, if this man is a wind magic user, then you might want to keep secret the fact that you're searching for him. There are some very powerful people that are interested in the existence of magic users."

"Do you know where he might be?" asked Ren eagerly.

The man shook his head. "I'm sorry, but this fellow moves from one place to another. Never stays in one place longer than a months' time."

"H-how do you know all this?" asked Ayano, more than slightly suspicious of the man.

"You'd be surprised the amount of travelers that pass by my humble inn. They have quite a few interesting tales to tell," the man answered vaguely.

"Alright. Thank you so much for everything you've told us. It's been extremely helpful," Ren stated gratefully, as Ayano walked over to the exit.

"Do be careful in your search and heed my earlier warning," the man let out a whooping cough.

Ayano grew impatient and dragged Ren out the inn behind her before the blonde could ask anything more. She sighed, going over the information the old man had revealed. Ren was silent besides her as they made their way to the ramen stall where Nanase and Yukari were waiting. The four of them decided to have ramen for lunch.

"So what were you guys doing?" asked Nanase. The group sat at a round table right outside the ramen stand.

"Mmph, we were just asking around the town if they heard anything about the wind magic user," Ayano whispered in between slurping her noodles. She didn't mention Kazuma's name, remembering the old man's warning. Ayano knew the man was right; magic users were a highly kept secret. And only the higher ups in the government, with the exception of some prominently well-known families, even knew that magic users did indeed exist.

Nanase noticed the upset look on Ren's face and decided to question them later about what they'd found out. As they finished up their ramen, Yukari brought up a daunting topic.

"You don't think he actually committed suicide, do you?" asked Yukari, her dainty lips turned down in a frown.

"I think it might have been the work of a youma," Ayano admitted. She was torn between whether or not to tell her friends what she and Ren were going to do later on in the night.

"A youma?" Nanase gasped; she'd never seen a youma, but had heard about them from Ayano and the old stories her great-grandmother would tell. "I thought they were all gone."

Yukari's face brightened with a smile, "The same could be said about magic users." That managed to get a laugh out of the other three, whose expressions had turned grim.

It was a long way back to the Kudo household and Ayano's feet were aching by the time the house was finally in sight. By the look on Ren's face, he was ready to pass out right on the ground. Oba-san was cooking when they entered, while Atsuko, Gina, and Junko were setting up the table. Ayano hadn't realized it was already so late.

This time Nanase's uncle had decided to come dine with them. He looked a lot better than he did earlier today. The man smiled at his wife, who hovered over him all through dinner. Even Gina sat with the group tonight, but only ate very little and left as soon as she was finished. It was obvious that her family was worried for Gina's health, but nobody mentioned anything.

All too soon dinner was at an end and everyone was settled in their respective rooms.

"Did you guys find out anything useful?" asked Nanase, drawing the door shut. Yukari was already tucked into her bed and Ayano longed to do the same; she had a long night in ahead of her.

"A couple things," Ayano yawned. "But we still don't know where he is. And I doubt we can still go around asking about him. It's bound to raise suspicion."

"You're right," Nanase agreed, slipping into bed. She turned off the lamp next to her. "So where did you find out about Ren's brother? I can't imagine many people around here believing in that sort of thing."

"There was an old man at the inn at the far end of town. The inn was in horrible condition, but the man was friendly enough, I suppose."

Nanase frowned, wondering which inn Ayano was talking about. There was only one inn at the far end of town. And it had been abandoned for years now after the old man that had owned it passed away. Nanase remembered her uncle warning her not to wander there; the building could collapse at any time.

"But you'd think he'd clean the place up a bit. It looks like it's going to fall into itself," Ayano continued, oblivious to her friend's pensive silence.

"Ayano," whispered Nanase. "That inn has been abandoned for twenty years. There's no one there."

It was Ayano's turn to frown as she shifted in her bed. "That can't be right. There was an old man who spoke to us. He was incredibly old and frail. I feel kinda bad for him. It looks like he lives alone and he's got this horrible cough." Ayano sighed.

"Are you sure it's not a part of your imagination?" asked Nanase, slightly doubtful.

Ayano sat up and fluffed her pillow. "Why would you think that?"

"The man you're describing-he's dead. There's just no way you could have met him. Are you sure it wasn't just an illusion?" Nanase knew there was no way her friend could have met a dead person.

Ayano shook her head, knowing Nanase couldn't see her. She thought over Nanase's words. Was it possible that the old man had been a figment of her imagination? But that couldn't be right. Ren had seen the man too. A scary thought popped into her head. The man had been a ghost.

* * *

**In the next chapter: Ayano and Ren go exploring and get a shocking surprise. Has Kazuma returned?**


End file.
